In his recent letter, the former Conservative candidate for Penrith and Solway, Mark Jenkinson, complained that he’s not getting credit for investment in the Port of Workington.
I’ve no doubt that Mark tried his best to secure funding for the town before deciding he had a better chance of getting elected up the road and abandoning Workington.
It was indeed the Conservative government which awarded £4.5 million to do remediation work on land at the Port. I acknowledge and thank the previous government for that. But all that money does is allow the council to get land at the Port ready for future opportunities. It is necessary but in no way sufficient to create jobs, bring investment or stimulate our economy.
Those are the things I’m aiming to bring through the Port Taskforce I lead with the council. We’re developing an ambitious Masterplan to upgrade and expand the Port. A Masterplan that would involve at least ten times the levels of investment that Mark Jenkinson is so keen to celebrate. The National Wealth Fund set up by the Labour Government could be the route to help us deliver this major expansion. If we get this right it could attract new clean energy projects,advanced manufacturing and create over 1,000 jobs.
Rather than twhining about not getting credit for a small handout after 14 years in government, I would encourage local Tories to back Labour’s ambition for our area. Surely it would be better for West Cumbria if we could work on big projects like this on a cross party basis.
Josh MacAlister MP 